Write now

Be it through candid blog posts or publishing houses, the one thing every writer dreams of is to see their work being read by the rest of the world. And now, to aid this dream, HarperCollins India and blogging forum IndiBlogger are coming together, to launch a unique initiative that will give Indian bloggers a chance at getting their work published. The bloggers on the IndiBlogger.in network are being invited to share their experiences under the theme of real love stories, and the best that are shortlisted will be published by HarperCollins later this year.

Talking about the campaign, Anoop Johnson, co-founder and director of marketing at IndiBlogger, tells us that the basic idea is to “create a unique collection of real experiences”. Ask him why they chose the theme of real love stories in particular, and he says, “Love is a universally relatable motif. We felt that if we were to publish something about bloggers’ real experiences, like stories about love then that would be a cherished experience for readers and writers alike. We also want it to be an eye opener for all those who have a stereotypical view of love in India.”

Yashodhara Lal, a blogger-turned-writer, whose book Just Married Please Excuse was published last year, is also part of the initiative and will mentor participating bloggers, ensuring that they make the best of this opportunity. “Many new authors are getting published these days. However, it is still a challenge because of the high number of new manuscripts that any publisher receives,” says Lal. She adds, “We want to bridge the gap between the publishing world — which is always on the lookout for new talent — and the community of bloggers, whose dream it is to get their work out into the market.”

The first stage of the competition, which is the submission of a short story idea ends on January 23, and 400 entries have already been received. “We’re looking forward to high-quality entries — these will not be fictionalised, fairy-tale romances, but relatable, believable stories inspired by real life incidents,” insists VK Karthika, chief editor and publisher, HarperCollins India.